Conventionally, a music performing apparatus for reproducing music data composed of a plurality of tracks, or a music performing program executed by such a music performing apparatus is known.
However, such conventional music performing programs cannot change the meter for reproduction of music during processing (reproduction) of music data.
Therefore, a feature of the exemplary embodiments provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, information processing system, and an information processing method that are novel and capable of changing the meter of music. Another feature of the exemplary embodiments provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, information processing system, and an information processing method that are capable of changing the meter of music in real time even during reproduction of a middle part of a bar of the music.
The exemplary embodiments have the following aspects in order to solve the above problem.
One aspect of the exemplary embodiments is a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program which is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus that reproduces music composed of one or more tracks. The information processing program causes the computer to function as: a reproduction section configured to reproduce the music; a meter change section configured to change the meter for reproduction of the music, while the reproduction section is reproducing the music; and a determination section configured to, based on the meter that has been changed, repeatedly determine whether or not to cause the reproduction section to reproduce the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar of the music that is currently being reproduced. The reproduction section reproduces the music, based on the result of the determination by the determination section.
According to the above aspect, the meter change section changes the meter for reproduction of music, and the determination section determines whether or not the next beat supposed to be reproduced in the current bar (i.e., the beat just after a beat that has currently been reproduced) is to be reproduced, based on the changed meter. That is, whether or not the next beat of music is to be reproduced is determined on a beat-by-beat basis in a bar in accordance with the changed beat. Thus, even when a middle part of a bar of music is being reproduced, reproduction of the music can be adjusted on a beat-by-beat basis in accordance with the changed beat, in real time.
In another aspect, the music may include a first meter track and a second meter track, and the reproduction section may conduct the reproduction as follows. If the meter changed by the meter change section is a first meter, the reproduction section may reproduce the first meter track with sound and reproduce the second meter track without sound. If the meter changed by the meter change section is a second meter which is different from the first meter, the reproduction section may reproduce the first meter track without sound and reproduce the second meter track with sound.
According to the above aspect, the first meter track and the second meter track are reproduced in parallel. At this time, if the meter for reproduction of music is the first meter, the second meter track is reproduced without sound. If the meter for reproduction of music is the second meter, the first meter track is reproduced without sound. Thus, a user can hear only the sound of a track corresponding the meter for reproduction of music. In addition, since these two tracks are reproduced in parallel, the position of reproduction of the current bar or beat does not differ between these two tracks. Here, in the case where, at the timing when the meter has been changed, reproduction of a track currently being reproduced is stopped, and reproduction of another track that had been stopped until then is started, there is a possibility that the music sounds unnatural because of the difference between the timings of the switching. However, according to the above aspect, such a problem does not occur. In addition, it is not necessary to adjust such timings of the meter changing so as to match them.
In another aspect, the second meter track may be a track generated by adjusting the same melody as that of the first meter track so as to correspond to the second meter.
According to the above aspect, since the second meter track has a melody adjusted based on the melody of the first meter track, it is possible to provide music to a user without feeling of strangeness, in accordance with the meter for reproduction of the music.
In another aspect, the number of the first meter may be larger than the number of the second meter.
According to the above aspect, the second meter track is the one that has been adjusted so as to correspond to the second meter which is smaller than the first meter. That is, if the first meter is the maximum meter of possible meters to which the meter may be changed, the second meter track, whose meter is smaller than the first meter, can be generated based on the first meter track.
In another aspect, if the result of the determination by the determination section is negative, the reproduction section may not reproduce the next beat supposed to be reproduced, and if the result of the determination by the determination section is positive, the reproduction section may reproduce the next beat supposed to be reproduced.
According to the above aspect, whether or not the next beat supposed to be reproduced is to be reproduced is determined in accordance with the result of the determination. Thus, even when a middle part of a bar of music is being reproduced, reproduction of the music can be adjusted on a beat-by-beat basis.
In another aspect, the determination section may conduct the determination as follows. If the number of the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is equal to or smaller than the number of the meter changed by the meter change section, the determination section may determine to cause the reproduction section to reproduce the next beat supposed to be reproduced. If the number of the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is larger than the number of the meter changed by the meter change section, the determination section may determine not to cause the reproduction section to reproduce the next beat supposed to be reproduced.
According to the above aspect, the number of the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is compared with the number of the meter, for reproduction of the music, which has been changed by the meter change section. Then, whether or not the next beat supposed to be reproduced is to be reproduced is determined in accordance with the result of the comparison. Specifically, for example, in the case where the changed meter for reproduction of the music is triple meter, if the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is the third beat, the third beat is reproduced, but if the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is the fourth beat, the fourth beat is not reproduced. Thus, even when a middle part of a bar of music is being reproduced, reproduction of the music can be adjusted on a beat-by-beat basis in accordance with the changed beat, in real time.
In another aspect, if the result of the determination by the determination section is negative, the reproduction section may start to reproduce the first beat in the next bar.
According to the above aspect, if the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is not reproduced, the first beat in the next bar is reproduced. Specifically, for example, in the case where the number of the changed meter for reproduction of the music is three (triple meter), if the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is the third beat, the third beat is reproduced, but if the next beat supposed to be reproduced in a bar is the fourth beat, the fourth beat is not reproduced and the first beat in the next bar is reproduced. That is, by using the same music, it is also reproduced as music in triple meter. Therefore, if one piece of music data whose number of beats (for example, four beats) per bar corresponds to the maximum meter to which the meter may be changed is prepared, the music can be reproduced in each of a plurality of beats (in quadruple meter or smaller meter). In the case where several tracks that have been adjusted so as to correspond to respective predetermined meters are prepared, these tracks are reproduced in parallel while reproduction thereof is switched between reproduction with sound and reproduction without sound in accordance with the changed meter. Therefore, the meter for reproduction is smoothly switched, whereby the music can be prevented from sounding unnatural.
In another aspect, the determination section may repeatedly conduct the determination at a predetermined interval.
According to the above aspect, whether or not the next beat supposed to be reproduced (the beat just after the current beat) is to be reproduced can be periodically determined at an appropriate timing.
In another aspect, the predetermined interval may be equal to or shorter than the interval between predetermined beats in bars.
According to the above aspect, in a determination process, if, for example, the meter for reproduction of music is changed from quadruple meter to triple meter, whether or not the fourth beat (the beat just after the current beat) is to be reproduced is determined just before reproduction of the fourth beat in each bar (i.e., every four beats). Thus, whether or not the beat just after the current beat is to be next reproduced can be determined in an appropriate timing, based on the number of the changed meter, whereby an efficient determination process can be realized.
In another aspect, when the meter is switched between the first meter and the second meter by the meter change section, the reproduction section may switch reproduction of each of the first meter track and the second meter track between reproduction with sound and reproduction without sound, by cross-fading.
According to the above aspect, reproduction of each of the first meter track and the second meter track is switched between reproduction with sound and reproduction without sound, by cross-fading. As a result, a user hardly feels strangeness when tracks are switched being reproduced with sound.
In another aspect, the information processing program may further cause the computer to function as: an input accepting section configured to accept an input from a user. The meter change section may change the meter for reproduction of the music data, based on the input from the user accepted by the input accepting section.
According to the above aspect, the meter for reproduction of music can be changed in accordance with an instruction inputted from a user.
In another aspect, the input from the user accepted by the input accepting section may be used for processing other than the processing of changing the meter for reproduction of the music data.
According to the above aspect, for example, when processing of operating a game character (processing other than the processing of changing the meter for reproduction of music data) is executed based on an input from a user (game player), the situation or the scene of a game can be changed, and in accordance with the change, the meter for reproduction of music can be changed.
In the above, the exemplary embodiments are described using a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, as an example. However, the exemplary embodiments may be applied to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, or an information processing method.
According to the exemplary embodiments, it is possible to provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, information processing system, and an information processing method that are novel and capable of changing the meter of music. In addition, it is possible to provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program, an information processing apparatus, information processing system, and an information processing method that are capable of changing the meter of music in real time even during reproduction of a middle part of a bar of the music.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.